Flowers for Asriel
by Strawcatz
Summary: Asriel had a tough choice to make in Undertale. He would always regret the decision he made. But what would happen if he had the chance to do it all over again? Would he choose differently?
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Oh! Howdy, there!

Did you bring those for me…?

That's really kind of you, but I… I don't really…

No, no, I-I'm sorry! Please, don't go. I didn't mean to offend.

Look – you can put them on the table over there.

Yes, right there with the others. You see? They look lovely together….

It's like I've got a whole greenhouse to myself. Call it the Asriel Conservatory.

Hee hee hee!

Huh? Wait! Where are you going?

You only came by to drop those off…? Ohh… well, I thought that maybe…

No… no, you don't have to stay. It's just that so many leave me flowers but so few stay to visit.

…Yeah. I understand if you've got better places to be. There are a number of places I'd rather be, too, if you can believe it, haha…

Nah, don't worry about it. It's alright. But I'll tell you what – if you promise to stay awhile, I'll tell you a story. You don't have to believe it, but it's the honest truth.

I remember… I remember a very long time ago when I was young and lived with my brother underground, and we had the run of the whole kingdom – you remember the old kingdom, don't you?

No? It must have been before your time. Well, Chara and I, we would have all sorts of fun, playing hide-and-seek in the palace, making snow fortresses in Snowdin, and going swimming at the waterfall. Also, while at the waterfall, we would collect snails. My mother made the best snail pie and we liked to help out. The only part I didn't like is what the snails had to go through in order to make the pie. Chara didn't seem to mind, though. Sometimes he'd even volunteer to do the 'dirty work' so that mom didn't have to.

One day, I found him sitting in the garden with a bucket of snails that he was de-shelling. Sometimes, he would smile strangely for reasons that I didn't understand. This was one of those times. I must have looked disturbed because he asked me what the matter was.

"N-nothing," I lied.

"No, something's wrong. I can tell."

"Chara? Um… what you're doing to the snails… doesn't it kill them?"

"Well, I would think so. But if it doesn't, I doubt they'd survive too much longer, considering our dinner plans and all." He chuckled.

I gulped. "Y… Yeah, but isn't it terrible that they have to die like that?"

"Hey, it's a dirty job, but somebody's got to do it, right?"

"That's not what I mean, though. Doesn't it bother you even a little when you do that – take off their shells…?"

Chara looked at me blankly. "No… Why should it?"

I shifted uncomfortably, unsure how to make my point any clearer.

"The way I see it, a snail has to come out of its shell eventually. Otherwise, it will never get anywhere or amount to anything."

"Huh? You mean…"

Chara took a snail out of the bucket and showed it to me. It had fully retreated into its shell. "You see this? This shy little guy is of no use to anyone like this. Not even to himself. All he does is sit there and cower and hide and nothing good ever came of that. But if I free him of his shell, he gets to become part of something much greater. He and all his little friends get turned into food for us, so that we can grow big and strong. Isn't it amazing that something as small and insignificant as a snail can do that?"

"I… um… y-yeah. It kind of makes sense when you put it like that."

He grinned at me. "Good. I knew you'd understand."

Ah, those were the days. If only I could turn back time once more…

Everything changed the day Chara told me his master plan. No one was supposed to know but me and him. It would be our little secret.

"Remember the snails, Asriel? I need your help to leave this shell. It's the only way to become strong enough to escape to the surface. Together, we can free everyone!"

Huh? You've heard this story before? And now, it's become a 'legend'? First we were heroes and now we're _legendary_? Haha, isn't that delicious? Well, let me tell you something you may not know.

When I absorbed his soul, I changed in more ways than anyone realized. The full extent of it was too horrible to admit until it was already too late….

My head was still spinning when I woke up. Rubbing my forehead, I felt two big horns that weren't there before. I hurried to find a mirror. In my reflection, there was a stranger were staring back at me. He was a baphomorph like myself, but all grown up, nearly double my height. His clothes were all but tatters and shreds and fit much too tightly. Embarrassed, I raided my mother's closet and threw on one of her robes instead. Then I heard a familiar voice.

 _Hey, Asriel. I'm here now. With you. Forever and always._

I can't tell you how glad I was to hear your voice again. I thought I had lost you. I wanted to rush and find mom and dad and tell them the good news, that everything was going to be okay. But my feet had a different plan. I had completely lost control of them.

"Wait! Where are we going? I'm not ready to leave yet!"

 _I'll take it from here, Asriel. Just relax._

"But first, I've got to—"

 _They'll only try to stop us. You know that. And you have nothing to worry about. I got this._

"B-But I can't move. I'm scared, Chara! I can't even…"

 _Don't be afraid. It will be okay. I'll take care of everything._

"E-Everything?"

 _That's right. You won't have to struggle anymore. You're going to be free._

I don't know if anything I could have said at that point would have made any difference but I should have said something more. We had a long journey ahead of us and with each step, I felt myself becoming less and less. I don't know how to explain it, Chara, but you—

Oh. I'm sorry. I've done it again, haven't I? Hee hee hee!

Sometimes, I get a little confused….

Sometimes, I still see him in other people.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Lying there on the bed of golden flowers, lit by the final radiance of sunset, young Chara had never looked as peaceful as he did now. It felt like only yesterday to Asriel that the two of them had laughed and played in a similar garden where their journey had begun. But now, this was no longer possible, and knowing this… knowing that this was the last time he would ever see Chara like this, filled Asriel with a deep remorse. As he knelt over the husk that was once his friend and brother, he felt an unbearable urge to reach out and grasp him, to hold him just once more and cry one last cry… and yet, he could not. Some inexplicable force rooted him to the spot, kept his face stony and eyes dry. This was the same force that compelled his aching feet to carry him to this particular village square that only Chara had known, farther from home than Asriel had ever dared venture.

 _I used to be so weak. It was pitiful, really. But now, together, we are strong. No… there's no reason to be sad. Tears are for children._

It was Chara. And he was right about one thing. Asriel could sense a burgeoning power coursing through innermost being that he could not account for. All he knew was that he liked that powerful feeling born from this unity with Chara's soul. Whenever he focused on the sensation to the exclusion of all else, it made him almost giddy. At the same time, a latent dread dwelled in his heart and he could not help but wonder at what cost this sudden transformation had come. Had he grown up too fast? Was it right to still think of himself as Asriel? Or had he become something else entirely—

A shrill shriek pierced through Asriel's reverie. He had been spotted, and moments later, shouts erupted out all around him as the villagers began to rouse and gather. "Monster! There's a monster here!" cried an old man across the square, pointing with his cane.

"What has it done to that child?!" another fretted.

 _Right on time,_ Chara smiled inwardly. _Ready, Asriel?_

Like Chara, Asriel was not too surprised at the outrage but he failed to share his brother's conviction. Trepidation swelled in the pit of his stomach as the full extent of Chara's request sank in. Asriel didn't have to say anything in order for Chara to pick up on his hesitation.

 _Come on, this is what we prepared for. We can do this!_ _We can defeat them all!_ Together, they rose to face their challengers but only Chara's heart was in it. Together, they balled their fists to channel those arcane currents but Asriel's resistance to the very idea kept those tides to a mere trickle _. Damn it, Asriel, I could really use some support here! All you have to do is let go and I'll—_

"No, I won't… I won't let you. It's not right," Asriel decided.

 _I thought this is what you wanted. Don't you want everyone back home to go free?_

Asriel clenched his eyelids shut tight, refusing to let his resolve falter, "I do… but not like this. Please, Chara… not like this!"

At first, there was only silence. Then, a broken laugh erupted in Asriel's head. _I-I can't believe what I'm hearing. You… would betray me,_ _ **yet again**_ _?!_

"Betray you…? No! I'm only just…" Asriel was taken aback and somewhat hurt by the accusation. Meanwhile, the mounting opposition of villagers had had ample time to arm themselves with pitchforks, shovels and rusty blades, and they were cautiously converging on the strange outsider, who appeared all the more strange when talking to himself.

"Wait! Time out!" Asriel crossed his arms indicatively but the villagers only paused to look at each other in bewilderment, shrugged, and then resumed their advance. Apparently, they knew nothing of the games that monster kids played. Even so, Asriel was more interested in what Chara had to say. "When have I ever betrayed you?" he protested.

 _Hmm… maybe this does call for a time-out. I know where we can buy some time. Let's go!_ Asriel followed Chara's lead, darting away from the mob, ducking within the shadows behind the little houses until they came upon a dilapidated shack on the village outskirts. They rushed in and barred the door with a two-by-four. This enclosure was little more than a woodshed, with drab furnishings and a narrow window that was broken. Peering through it, the brothers saw that they had not lost their pursuers completely, for the villagers were spanning out in their general direction.

 _We don't have much time so I suggest we sit and enter mind-space so we can communicate a lot faster._

Asriel wasn't sure exactly what Chara meant by this, but he could guess well enough and so he obliged. He sat on a dusty stool and then his vision gradually went dim. As color bled away from his surroundings he felt as if time had slowed down. Suddenly, Asriel was aware of another presence in the room. It was Chara, pacing agitatedly, and running his fingers through his overgrown mop of brown hair.

"Chara… how did you…?"

"Never mind that right now. All you need to understand that is just like our souls are linked, so too are our minds. What you are seeing is just a projection of that."

Asriel gave a meek little nod.

Chara halted, raising a finger. "What I'm about to say is going to sound crazy to you, but you're going to believe me anyway because you'll be able to tell if I'm speaking the truth."

Asriel nodded again.

"This is not the first time we've done this. The village, leaving through the barrier, our plan to become one… even when you found me – it's all been a matter of history repeating itself."

"I don't understand. H-how could that be possible?"

"It's possible because you made it possible. This path you're about to follow doesn't end well for you, Asriel. You'll always regret your choice to spare the humans. Because you die. They're going to kill us both if we don't fight back." Chara looked at Asriel with such intensity that he could not bring himself to speak. "And that's not all. Dad is so wracked with grief that he kills all the humans that fall into the underground and mom exiles herself from the kingdom in horror. It's not until a child named Frisk enters the underground many years later that everyone finally gets to be free."

Asriel brooded over this but he refused to despair. "That… doesn't seem… too terribly bad. I mean, it could be worse… right? At least there's a happy ending." He tried on his optimism with a smile but it was extinguished by Chara's darkening expression.

"Yeah, happy for everyone except for you and me, Asriel. After you die, you come back as a soulless flower, driven to insanity after enduring countless repeating lifetimes without being able to feel love or compassion ever again. My soul is awakened by Frisk's determination so I hitch a ride in his body, only to be tormented by you in some twisted desire to never be separated from each other again. That is, until you are stopped. Regardless, you remain as a flower in the underground, forever.

"Well, I couldn't let that happen. I hijacked Frisk's timeline to play out his life over and over again until I got it right. I saved the world. I destroyed the world. I made everyone love me. I made everyone hate me. But through all those countless outcomes, the one constant was your cruel fate: no matter what I did, I couldn't save you.

"Then I realized that I was going about it all wrong – that as long as I was joined to Frisk, the timeline was bounded by choices that could only be made _through_ Frisk. By the time Frisk entered the picture, your fate had already been sealed. The only one who could save you, was you. The only way to get you back was to let you have your way, no matter how crazy – to let you kill me again and again. I don't blame you for it. That's all you _could_ do. You were constrained by Frisk's timeline as much as I was. In order to move beyond that, to fulfill your ultimate wish, you needed more power – enough power to stand outside of time itself. You needed the power of a god.

"To do this, I let you absorb all the souls of the underground – monster and human souls alike, even my own. True to your word, you used your power to reset all timelines to a point before Frisk even existed. You put yourself back into the happiest time of your life: the time when you first met me, and mom and dad were together, and we were all one big happy family."

Asriel trembled with the impact of those words and shook his head exasperatedly, "Why are you only telling me all this now?!"

Chara frowned, seeming conflicted. "I didn't want to spoil that hard-won happiness with the weight of this terrible knowledge since it all rested upon the fragile ignorance of an innocent child. You were right to reset your own memory for that very reason. But now I'm forced to break my silence because you're about to repeat the biggest mistake of your life and I'm not about to stand by and watch it happen."

Chara had never looked so determined and somehow it all made sense to Asriel. The thought of becoming what Chara described chilled him to the bone. And yet, as incomprehensibly abysmal as that fate seemed, Asriel still could not imagine having a hand in the alternative that Chara proposed. The muffled shouts of belligerent villagers were closing in, forcing a decision. "I'm still not willing to sacrifice all those people for this, no matter how bad it gets for me." His eyes narrowed with resolve and he gave a brisk, confirming nod of his horns.

"Haven't you been listening?" Chara's widened eyes were like white fire. "Things will become hell for a _lot_ of people for a long time if we don't, and Asgore will sacrifice just as many humans anyway after you're gone!"

"I don't think I could live with myself knowing that it's all because of me—"

"All because of you? All because of _me_ , Asriel. It was _my_ idea to free all the monsters like this. You've already done all you needed to do." Chara sighed and presented a comforting smile, softening his tone. "I'm not asking you to kill anyone. All I'm asking is that you trust me to take care of everything – to do what you never could, but still needs to be done."

"Isn't it just as bad to do nothing while others suffer and die?"

At that moment, a flaming bottle of vodka breached what remained of the window glass and soared between the brothers, blurring in its rotations before smashing against the wall in a surreal kind of slow motion. Glaucous flames roused from the scattered shards and lethargically began to lick and grow upon their surroundings. Asriel remained strangely calm. There was now an equanimity to his mindset that he wanted to pass on to Chara somehow.

Chara scowled at the flames and then at Asriel, "That's assuming you have some control over what's going to happen..." His eyes took on an uncanny light that Asriel had never seen before. Chara reached out and firmly grasped Asriel's shoulder. Suddenly, everything returned to normal space and time and Asriel jolted upright. The enclosure was now illuminated by a bright orange blaze that quickly overtook the shack.

 _In this case, you do not._

"Wh-what?!" was all Asriel could muster.

 _You may have stopped me last time, but that's only because I let you._ Asrielcouldfeel his control over his body slipping again. Through Chara's will alone, they stepped toward the door. _I let you 'win' because I didn't want us to be of two minds about this for the rest of our lives._ They unbarred the door. _I didn't want you to resent me – not if we were going to be together forever like that._ Those dark currents of energy gripped Asriel once more and he could feel an eerie static charge tingling all over his fur as that powerful feeling intensified. This time, he knew, there was no stopping it. _But now, knowing what happens because of that choice… I cannot allow that to happen. I cannot bear it!_ They kicked open the door with a ferocity that surprised Asriel. _This time you_ _ **will**_ _live, even if I have to drag you to hell and back again._ They stepped out to meet the mob in the cool air of night.

"Chara– wait! No! Stop!" urged Asriel, even though his mouth did not move. "Please…please don't make me do this…."

 _Asriel… I'm doing this for your own good._ _I thought I could convince you of that, but I've only wasted my breath._

Asriel saw the rabble of villagers amassing right in front of them, spouting curses and brandishing whatever makeshift weapons they had on hand. He choked back his grief. "If you do this… I… I'll never forgive you for it!"

 _…That's a chance I'm willing to take._

Someone in the crowd threw a lit torch, which was easily sidestepped. The torch superfluously struck the already-burning shack.

 _I'm sorry, Asriel, but we're out of time._ They raised their palm to the villagers as if to greet them, but then tightly clenched it into a fist, which burst into a beacon of radiant hellfire.

 _Out here, it's kill or be killed._


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Murmurs filled the air as the last spectators found their seats in the dim auditorium, which was no trouble at all since it was a grand chamber with ample capacity. The darkened stage, framed and floored with fine wood paneling, was vacant except for the thick black curtains set at the back. Once the crowd had settled, the stage lights came on and a reptoid monster kid burst onto the stage through the center divide of the curtains. She came forth with such enthusiasm that she nearly tripped over her own feet.

"Long ago, two races ruled over the earth: monsters and humans," she announced with a bright smile. "One day, war broke out between the two races."

Three monster kids emerged from the right stage entrance along with another three from the left, all brandishing tinfoil-wrapped cardboard swords. The one notable difference between the two groups was that the three on the right wore Guy Fawkes masks. The children growled and postured aggressively at each other until they paired up to engage in mock battle.

Meanwhile, a little skeleton boy nervously peeked out from behind the curtains and a quiet rattling of bones could be heard above the din of cardboard swordplay. Soon, he stumbled forward onto the stage, as if propelled by an unseen nudge from behind, and chattered, "A-After a long battle, the humans were vic-victorious. They s-s-sealed the monsters underground with a magic spell."

The monster kids on the right dropped their weapons and put up their hands while the Guy Fawkes trio pointed their swords at them. One of these 'humans' stomped his foot twice and a trap door opened in the center of the stage floor. Then, they rounded up their prisoners and forced them to plunge through the opening. Guy Fawkes #1 seemed to spot the reptoid girl and the skeleton boy behind him and signaled the other Guy Fawkeses to approach. After some protest from the reptoid, the two humans dragged her toward the trap door while the first human crossed his arms. She huffily lowered herself into the hole. The skeleton boy began to rattle again until the humans all stared at him. Finally, he bolted for the opening and leapt in. There was a brief chuckle from the audience before the humans shut the trap door and marched off the stage.

 _How droll…_

A froggit hopped out from behind the curtains and said, "Many years later, a human fell into the ruins."

A young astigmatism wearing a Dora the Explorer costume hurtled through the curtains and tumbled onto center stage with a loud, "Ow!"

"Injured by its fall, the human called out for help," continued the froggit.

Dora lifted their head and cried, "Help! I've fallen and I can't get up!"

 _Oh, brother…_

A whimsun floated out to join the froggit and said, "Asriel, the king's son, heard the human's call. He brought the human back to the castle."

A young baphomorph girl in a striped shirt entered from offstage and saw Dora. This 'Asriel' framed 'his' white fuzzy cheeks in 'his' hands to appear shocked at the sight of the human. 'Asriel' quickly came to Dora's side and aided them off the stage.

 _Hmm…How appropriate. She looks just like you._

Asriel – the real Asriel – couldn't help but agree as he watched from his front-row seat, sipping his tea. To see Charebelle so aptly perform her role filled him with pride and yet he could barely bring himself to smile, for his tea was bitter and he knew what was yet to come.

A moldsmal slid onto the stage, leaving behind a slimy trail, "Over time, Asriel and the human became like siblings. The king and queen treated the human child as their own. The underground was full of hope."

Charebelle and Dora returned to the stage, holding hands and prancing about in circles. Then, a lesser dog and a greater dog, both pups, regally glided onto the stage. They each wore vibrant robes with a crown and a pair of costume horns atop their heads. The greater dog must have been the king because he bore a much larger set of horns. The royal couple affectionately patted Charebelle and the human on their heads before they sashayed away to the opposite stage exit. The king struggled to keep all the headgear steady on his little head and could be heard whining as he disappeared from view.

A migosp crept in to take his place. "Then, one day, the human became very ill."

Dora stopped prancing, pressed the back of their hand to their head and swooned exaggeratedly. Charebelle, showing concern, helped them off the stage once more.

A vegetoid hopped forward to join the other monsters. "The sick human had only one request: to see the flowers from their village. But there was nothing anyone could do."

The king and queen returned the stage, holding each other supportively as they slowly treaded across the stage. Their heads were bowed, their shoulders were slumped and they whimpered softly to each other before exiting.

The young astigmatism returned uncostumed from behind the curtains and said, "The next day, the human died." The stage lights faded until it was dark in the auditorium. The shuffling of little monster feet was heard. When the lights came back on, the stage was empty save for Charebelle who knelt at center stage and gazed pensively at the Dora mask she held in her hands.

At this point, Asriel tore his gaze from the stage, his hand trembling as he took a longer sip of his tea.

A frostdrake walked in from behind the curtains. "Asriel, wracked with grief, absorbed the human's soul. He transformed into a being with incredible power."

Charebelle shifted her eyes left and right and promptly slipped the Dora mask under her shirt. Then she theatrically made her way to exit the stage, doing a few balletic twirls on the way out.

An icecap moseyed in, "With the human soul, Asriel crossed through the barrier. He carried the human's body into the sunset, back to the village of the humans."

Charebelle returned through the curtains, clothed in vibrant robes, with the set of fake horns worn over her real horn buds. She carried a training dummy dressed in the outfit of Dora the Explorer. Charebelle stepped slowly, determinedly toward center stage.

A woshua crawled in to form a line with the other monsters. "Asriel reached the center of the village. There, he found a bed of golden flowers. He carried the human onto it."

Charebelle continued to the front of the stage and knelt to solemnly deposit the training dummy upon the floor.

A shyren slinked upon the stage to join the others. "Suddenly, screams rang out." And so they did, offstage. "The villagers saw Asriel holding the human's body. They thought that he had killed the child."

The Guy Fawkes trio from earlier rushed onto the stage. This time they carried nerf bats.

A small knight-knight clattered in, "The humans attacked him with everything they had. He was struck with blow after blow."

Charebelle rose to face her attackers, who savagely beat her with the nerf bats, causing her to crumple back onto her knees.

The knight-knight continued, "Asriel had no choice but to use his power to fight back the humans."

Suddenly, Charebelle leapt up with a mighty uppercut and the Guy Fawkes trio fell backwards. They lay on the stage and did not move.

Asriel drooped in his chair and sighed.

A madjick entered through the curtains. "But the humans did not die in vain. Asriel absorbed the souls of those humans, too. He used the power of the human souls to destroy the magic barrier."

Charebelle unmasked the humans and shifted her gaze before tucking the three masks under her shirt. She then marched back to the curtains and slipped behind them to pull one back so that a gap appeared. Through the opening came a procession of young monsters – the ones that had formed the first chorus – led by the froggit, who said, "All the monsters rejoiced. They were now free to leave the underground."

All the monsters on stage leapt and cheered and danced or whatever monsters of their respective kind did when they had a good time. The unmasked 'humans' that had been lying there got up to join the other monsters. Charebelle nodded proudly and disappeared behind the curtains.

Asriel's eyes grew so heavy that he could no longer bear to keep them open.

 _Come on, try to stay awake. How am I supposed to watch if you don't keep your eyes open?_

Asriel willed himself to do so… just a little while longer…

"But the humans did not welcome the return of the monsters," said the whimsun.

From the right stage entrance came three more monsters donning the Guy Fawkes masks with cardboard swords in hand. The humans looked rather cross and the monsters scrambled to line up against the curtains.

"The king and queen pleaded with the humans to allow everyone to coexist in peace," continued the whimsun.

In came the king and queen through the curtains and knelt before the humans. They presented their cutest puppy-dog expressions and whined up at the Guy Fawkes trio.

The moldsmal in the chorus said, "The humans' only answer was a new declaration of war. Many lives were lost on both sides…"

Several monsters and one of the humans dropped dead at once. The lesser dog queen curiously sniffed at the fallen human.

"…including the king and queen," resumed the moldsmal.

The king and queen abruptly collapsed to the floor and played dead. The remaining pair of humans dragged their fallen comrade offstage. Charebelle re-entered the stage.

"With a heavy heart, Asriel picked up the crown that had been his father's," said the migosp as Charebelle did so. "He promised to bring us the peace that his parents never could."

Charebelle reflected upon the crown momentarily and then placed it atop her head. She turned to the monster chorus and roused the 'dead' ones to rise. Theatrically, she bounded side-to-side across the stage, flailing her arms at the monsters with gestures of encouragement before she marched through the right stage exit.

 _She will make a great queen someday, you know._

Asriel nodded wearily to himself and he felt the crown upon his own head grow especially heavy. He knew now that his daughter was capable of anything she put her mind to and that she could weather any storm, despite her young age. Her strength brought him comfort as he drank the last of his tea.

The vegetoid said, "After many years of fighting, the monsters had won."

As before, three monster kids emerged from the left and three humans from the right, and another cardboard sword dance ensued. This time, Charebelle accompanied the monsters, brandishing a sword of her own. One of the humans ducked past his opponent and charged straight at Charebelle. Charebelle pointed her sword at the charging human and the human skidded to a halt. Charebelle lightly tapped the human on the shoulder with her sword and the human collapsed. Soon, the remaining humans surrendered.

"A-Asriel used his powers to seal the humans underground," said the skeleton boy with more confidence than before.

Charebelle and the monster kids escorted the humans to the trap door. She opened it and the humans dropped through the stage. Charebelle then closed the door and sat upon it, wiping her forehead with an expression of relief.

The reptoid girl grinned broadly and announced, "Asriel's promise had come true. The earth was finally at peace."

Next, the entire chorus of monsters chanted altogether, "King Asriel let us go! King Asriel gave us hope! King Asriel saved us all! Long live King Asriel!"

But Asriel did not heed their cheers, for he had fallen down.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

"Aw, damn it, Asriel! Now we're going to miss the grand finale." Chara fumed from the mind-space representation of the stage. The auditorium appeared to be deserted now, save for the two of them. The whole place was dark and monochromatic. "I know I promised I wouldn't take control anymore, but you've got to at least make it worth my while."

"Chara, we need to talk," Asriel said, still sitting in his front-row seat.

"… now that's something I thought I'd never hear. Okay, you got my attention."

"All these years, I haven't simply been ignoring you. I've just been thinking."

"Thinking? About what?" asked Chara.

"About how things all turned out, why they happened that way… and how I could bring myself to forgive you… how I could forgive myself…" Asriel swayed.

At this, Chara perked up. "Oh? Are we finally coming to some sort of reconciliation?" He tapped the heels of his kiddy shoes against the edge of the stage on which he sat.

"Kind of, yeah… But first, I need to get a few things off my chest."

"Go on." He nodded.

"I've been thinking that…if the entire idea behind coming back to rewrite history was to rescue me so we could be together, there were a number of ways you could have gone about it without resorting to violence and bloodshed…." Asriel took in a deep breath. "For starters, how about simply allowing our lives to play out without ever trying to destroy the barrier?"

"You seemed to think it was a good enough idea to follow through, at first." Chara peered askance at his furry companion.

"Only because I was so young and naïve – I didn't fully take into account the true costs." Asriel fiddled with his royal blue cape before setting his earnest eyes anew on Chara. "And then, I would have followed you to the ends of the earth without question or doubt. But I think you knew better. You knew exactly what you were doing."

"Of course I did. And it worked, too! We freed everyone and triumphed over the humans." Chara made that huge painted smile that Asriel never liked very much.

"So then… it wasn't enough to live a quiet, peaceful life down there together – a life where we could have been happy?"

"No, it wasn't." Chara shook his head. "And I wasn't alone. A lot of monsters desired freedom. Remember, they had been trapped down there for hundreds of years and for all they knew, it would be hundreds more unless we took action. History will remember us as heroes because of it." He grinned smugly.

"Heroes, really?" Asriel laughed dryly. "That may be how _history_ remembers us, but there's nothing heroic about provoking a war. Let me ask you something: when you pleaded to see your home village as your dying wish, it wasn't out of nostalgia, but because you knew _exactly_ how it would look to the humans when they saw your body carried by me – a monster. Am I right?"

"You got me there." Chara rocked in place with a subtle smirk.

"And using the power of our combined souls, you finally got to carry out the revenge on your village that you'd been plotting all along?"

"Oh… but that was just the cherry on top. Obviously my plan was much bigger than _that_."

Asriel chuckled weakly. "Yeah, like when you absorbed the power of all those human souls, you became pretty powerful, didn't you?"

"Oh, yess…" Chara smiled and there was a glint of eerie light in his eyes.

"You could have released those souls after you destroyed the barrier. But there was no way you'd do that – not since they made you nearly unstoppable."

"I didn't hear any complaints," he remarked flatly. "At least not on _our_ side."

"But isn't that what this was really about? The 'Quest for Absolute Power'. Power over anyone who stood in your way. The barrier… the war… even myself… they were all just steps along the way!"

"Asriel… when you put it like that, you sound a touch _ungrateful_ ," Chara said, gritting his teeth.

Asriel lifted himself to his feet. "And what exactly should I be grateful for? That I got to be the vessel for you to achieve your godhood?"

"Asriel! If I wanted to, I could have left you to languish away as a little flower while I ascended to reign supreme! But I didn't." Chara's eyes flared at full intensity.

"Well… why didn't you, then?"

"Because… I couldn't keep on doing it all alone…"

"All alone? Wasn't there anyone to keep you company?"

"No, there wasn't. At least, not after I was finished. There was not a single soul I cared enough about to spare… except for you." Chara's gaze drifted. "Of course, I only realized this after I'd killed you a bunch of times."

Asriel fell silent, so Chara hopped down from the stage and continued, "Look, Asriel… I was angry. You were the one who destroyed _me_ before any of this started. And besides, with the state you were in, I thought I was doing you a favor. It was only after I put all that behind me that I actually began to listen…."

Chara bowed his head and sighed, "It was the way that you spoke to me… time after time… I began to realize that you reminded me more of myself than anyone. Deep down, neither of us could handle the harsh truth of what we had become, and so we each, independently, took it upon ourselves to wipe the slate clean and start over from the beginning. _Our_ beginning. And you know, we never could have got there without each other.

"So now that we've come full circle, you must see that it's not just a matter of choice that our lives keep on colliding like this. It's a matter of fate, Asriel. We were meant to be together no matter what!"

By now, the overhead lighting had narrowed such that the brothers were completely surrounded in a pall of utter darkness beyond which there was nothing. Asriel crumpled and fell to one knee.

Chara blinked. "Asriel? Don't tell me you're falling asleep in here too..." He paused. "Wait. How is that possible?" Chara frowned.

"Maybe you're right," Asriel said with a sickly smile. "Maybe we _are_ meant to be together…."

Chara's eyes darted all around as if pursued by an unseen assailant and he started to tremble, "Asriel… what's going on?"

"I have only one more question: Just…what are you, Chara?"

Chara just stared at his brother, speechless.

Asriel shook his head and smiled. "You're not really human, are you?"

"Asriel…" Chara reluctantly began.

Asriel gave a weak laugh. "There's nothing you can hide from me, Chara. Before we bonded… there was so much I didn't know, didn't understand. I couldn't even imagine how awful the truth was until we had become one. So unbearable was this truth that I couldn't stare it straight in the face. But gradually, over time, the full extent of what you were… what you had done, seeped into me so deeply, so undeniably, that I could no longer ignore it." He locked eyes with his companion, steadfast. "I know now, Chara. I know what comes next. And I know that it has to be stopped."

Chara widened his eyes. "Asriel… what have you done?!"

"While you were absorbed in your favorite play and paying _me_ no mind, I took the opportunity to slip a little something into my tea. Can you guess what it was, Chara?" Asriel cocked his head. "Can you?"

"This… this is all some kind of sick joke, isn't it?" Chara choked and paled, losing his rich complexion. "Like the kind I used to play on you doing our childhood…" He raked his clenched fingers through his hair, clawing it into further disarray. "Hah, you got me good, Asriel. You finally got me back for it now! Haha!"

Asriel's smile faded. He shook his head slowly. "I wish it were. Honestly, I do."

Chara's face buckled with renewed panic. "Help! I can't feel our body!" He clutched and jerked at Asriel's shoulder. "Wake up! Wake up!" Then, it dawned on him. "I can't move," he murmured, his glassy eyes distant.

"It's too late for that." Asriel frowned. "If I can't exert any control, then neither can you." Asriel lifted his gaze to the dying light. "It won't be long now…."

"Hey! Somebody!" Chara shouted at the light. "Do something! …Call 911!"

Asriel twitched his lips. "Chara… please. Don't be afraid. Everything will be okay, I promise." He managed a delicate smile.

Chara slumped to his knees, defeated. "But why, Asriel… why?"

Asriel gently gripped Chara's cheeks. "I know you can't help what's in your nature. I don't blame you for it. In fact, now that I finally understand it all…I forgive you, Chara. For everything. I really do."

"Asriel, I… I…" Chara stammered, misty-eyed.

"You don't have to say it. I already know. I feel it, too. And that's why it's got to end this way."

Chara trembled.

Asriel drew his brother close. He held him, rubbed his back, and smiled. "No more struggles, okay? Just stay with me. We're going to be free."

The form of Chara shook and then shimmered. Then he began to fade away with that dying spot of light.

In the final moment of illumination, Asriel faltered and gave way to a primal calling.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

A gentle breeze caressed Asriel's ear, rousing him to his senses, and he found himself bathed in the warmth of a hazy white light. He urged open his heavy eyelids and the bright haze of his surroundings began to resolve into a more distinct picture. He was lying in a bed that was as unfamiliar to him as the white hospital gown he wore. Gone were his royal robes and crown. This was a small room with a nightstand and an open window to his left, and further down, a beige leather loveseat and coffee table. Across from him there was a long narrow counter affixed to the wall.

What stood out most for Asriel was the multitude of flowers filling all the available counter space such that the floor was the only place left for some of them. There were flowers of all colors and sorts: lilies and lilacs, carnations and chrysanthemums, red roses and white daisies… though there was a conspicuous absence of golden buttercups.

On the nightstand beside him, Asriel noticed several cards, all to the effect of 'get well soon'. _So then, I'm still alive_ , thought Asriel. _But how?_ He reflected on what had happened, his last encounter with Chara, and then it immediately struck him: he was all alone. For the first time in many years, his thoughts emerged from and disappeared into an expansive emptiness without filtering through the tight enclosure of another presence, without being intercepted. Asriel was free at last! And yet, his triumph was bittersweet.

Asriel gazed through the window. It was sunny and calm, the deep blue of the sky mingling with thin wisps of cloud. The leaves of lush treetops were twirling in the wind and birds were singing carefree. "Rest in peace, Chara," he said.

Asriel's eyes were drawn to one of the cards, which had a familiar script. He picked it up. In bold magenta crayon, the card read, 'I hope you feel better soon becuz I miss you and want to see you again. Love Charebelle'.Big magenta heart.

Tears welled up in Asriel's eyes and he clutched the card to his chest. _Oh, Charebelle… I've been so selfish, haven't I?_ He had rationalized his actions as being the only way to safeguard a future for everyone, including that of his daughter, and yet he knew there was something hideous – something irredeemably callous about what those same actions said about him as a father. Would she forgive him once she figured it out?

She and Asriel had always been close, but this was especially the case after her mother had passed on. In a very real sense, the only family that they had was each other. Still, Charebelle was always a precocious child, and an independent one, at that. Asriel had originally named her in memory of his mother though as soon as she was able, Charebelle stubbornly insisted upon her middle name. This name came about as an amalgamation of Chara and Isabelle, since Asriel thought it only fair to honor the role that each played in her conception, however indirect in the case of Chara. Had Charebelle not shown such a capacity for self-determination, Asriel may not have had the will to go through with the deed….

The door opened and in trotted a Temmie dressed in a nurse's outfit. "hOI!" she said. "temmie take gud care of u!" There was a goofy grin on her face.

Asriel propped himself up on his elbows and stared down at the creature, perplexed and disturbed.

Then, a less dubious (bipedal) cat-nurse peeked in through the doorway. "Temmie? Would you like to see if Carl needs any help downstairs?" she asked gently.

"OKs, temmie go check." Temmie trotted away, never losing the grin.

The new nurse came in and looked Asriel over. She had a sheepish smile. "Temmie…is a new intern here." When she saw that Asriel didn't look any less disturbed, she explained, "Oh, no, she's with food services. They mostly have her delivering ice cream and jello." She shook her head and laughed. "Can you imagine…?"

Asriel scrubbed his face and groaned.

"You're going to want to take it easy for a little while, Your Majesty," she urged.

"Please… just call me Asriel." He eased himself onto his back again.

"Well, Asriel, I want you to know that you're going to be okay. You were seriously ill and unconscious for a few days, and a lot of people were very worried, as you can tell," she gestured to all the flowers, "but after purging the toxins we found in your system, we expect you to make a full recovery."

"Charebelle… my daughter, is she…?"

The nurse smiled. "Charebelle's fine. She's been in good hands. Would you like to see her? She's just waiting outside."

"I would like that very much." Asriel nodded eagerly.

"Wonderful." The feline grinned brighter. "She's been anxious to visit." She glimpsed back at the door and her smile faded. "I'm afraid it will have to be a short visit, though. The doctor will be here momentarily to check on you and he will have some very important questions that he'll need to ask you in private." She gave him a sidelong glance.

Asriel nodded slowly.

Her smile popped up again. "Alright, I'll go get her." She turned and her heels clicked their way to the door, which she opened. She beckoned and in sprang Charebelle, her face aglow.

"Hey!" She bounded to her father's side with happy tears in her azure eyes. "I'm so glad to see that you're okay!"

Asriel sat up and grinned at her. "I'm happy to see you too, dear."

The cat-nurse dipped her head. "Well, I'll give you two some space." And she slipped outside and closed the door.

Charebelle glimpsed at the door and made a face. "They wouldn't let me see you 'til now 'cuz they said you needed lots of sleep to get better." She gave her head a quick shake, flicking her fuzzy ears around. "But it's been days! I was starting to think you'd never wake up…." She pouted.

Asriel smiled ruefully. "I'm so sorry to have left you like that." He stroked her head. "They were right, though. I did need to sleep awhile. But you don't have to worry any more because I'm as good as new now."

She studied him, as if unsure.

"Oh! I managed to catch most of the play, and you were wonderful in it."

"Y-Yeah?" Her eyes wavered, searching, reading his face like it were a book.

He nodded. "I especially liked the part where you took charge and led the monsters to victory. I really believed, in that moment, that they would follow you anywhere. I wanted to tell you that, Charebelle… that you made me so proud." Asriel felt his heart soar with the blaze of a thousand stars. He let his fingers descend and lightly caressed one of her dangling ears.

At that very moment, Charebelle grabbed Asriel's wrist, her face stricken. "But what happened to daddy?"

Asriel let his fingers slip away. "I… I wasn't well, darling. I wasn't well for a long time. That's why daddy needed some time alone to heal and—"

"No! I meant: where's my _other_ daddy? What did you do with him?" Her little face clouded with a darker frown.

And Asriel thought he could see an eerie light flicker in those searching eyes.


End file.
